Frankenstein (riassunto), Appunti di Letteratura Inglese

Scarica Frankenstein (riassunto) e più Appunti in PDF di Letteratura Inglese solo su Docsity! Frankenstein Author Mary Shelley Year Published 1818; 1831 (revised edition) Type Novel Genre Horror Perspective and Narrator Frankenstein is told through the first-person point of view. Using the first person, Robert Walton, the frame narrator, quotes Victor Frankenstein's narrative, also in the first person, in letters to his sister. In turn, Victor quotes the Monster's narration, also in the first person. Finally, Elizabeth Lavenza and Alphonse Frankenstein relate part of the story through their letters to Victor. Tense Frankenstein is told in the past tense. About the Title The novel's full title is Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. The first part of the title, Frankenstein, refers to Victor Frankenstein, the scientist—not, as is often misunderstood, the Monster he created. The subtitle refers to the Greek god Prometheus, who created the first human. After Zeus (the king of the gods) took fire away from humans, Prometheus returned it to them. As punishment for these actions, Zeus had Prometheus chained to a rock for eternity and sent an eagle to eat his liver. The liver grew back each night, and each day the eagle returned, condemning Prometheus to eternal torture. The subtitle links Victor and Prometheus; both defy heaven in taking the power of creating life, reserved for heaven alone, and suffer tremendously as a result. This study guide covers the 1818 edition of Frankenstein.  Gothic novel  Feminist science-fiction novel  Science novel In the novel Frankenstein the monster does not have a name: it was the popular fantasy that gave it that of its creator, Frankenstein. Monster, however, does not mean bad. the poor "monster" is, at the beginning, a creature of good and delicate feelings, Alone and desper- ate, he takes refuge in the barn of a farmhouse, where, observing the family, and in particular the children, he slowly becomes aware of himself. Learn to read, When, after many months, he finds the courage to show himself, the horrified reac- tions of the family throw him into despair. He flees, determined to find his creator. He doesn't want to be alone anymore, he wants a mate who is like him, monstrous and deformed, but the scientist refuses, shocked at the idea of repeating the experiment for the second time. then the monster becomes evil: it kills the relatives of its creator Finally, creator and creature come to a showdown on the ice of the Arctic. The scientist, miracu- lously collected by a ship of explorers, finds the last strength to tell the captain his sad story and dies. Over his corpse, the monster raises a final lament, before disappearing forever CHARACTERS Victor Frankenstein Born into a swiss family, Victor is very ambitious and determined to make his mark on the world. As a teenager he studied alchemy, fascinated by the fascination of science. Victor is horrified by his creation: a monster of hideous appearance and proportions. Victor becomes obsessed with chasing and killing the Monster, but only manages to isolate himself from all human contact. Victor and the monster act as doubles of each other, Rather, the two shift back and forth in terms of morality, with each one's actions being more moral at some times and more questionable at others. The Monster The Monster is an eight-foot-tall giant Victor Frankenstein forms and brings to life. The Monster is composed of various body parts scavenged from cemeteries and morgues, so he is hideous" Born innocent, the Monster is baffled when Victor violently rejects him. Highly intelligent and eloquent, the Monster educates himself, learning to read and write French, but all his learning cannot help him find what he most desires: companionship. After Victor rejects him, the Monster alternates between acts of horrific violence (killing Victor's brother) and touching kindness (rescuing a drowning girl, helping impoverished peasants). When Victor tears apart the mate he had agreed to create for the Monster, the Monster kills Victor's best friend and Victor's wife. No one will accept him because of his appearance. He is doomed to a life of bitter loneliness and isolation. Robert Walton Walton is the narrator of the frame story . He plays an important role in the plot by confirming the Monster's existence, because he spoke with him, and allowing readers to know what happens to the Monster after Victor's death. He also plays valuable thematic roles. Walton sets off to explore the Arctic. Laceys, he becomes convinced of humans' fundamental virtue and moral superiority. But this belief in humanity's goodness and his hope for acceptance are crushed by the rejection he constantly receives. When Elizabeth hears of Justine Moritz's confession, she is disillusioned, When she hears Justine's explanation that the confession is a false one, her faith in the woman is restored. She is the only character whose disillusionment is resolved. Loss Elizabeth loses her mother as a child, as Mary had, and also loses her adoptive mother, William's death is followed by the innocent Justine's execution. Victor experiences the losses of virtually his entire family—only Ernest survives Walton loses the possibility of having Victor as a friend The Monster loses the attentions and affections of his creator, a father figure; he loses possible affection from the De Laceys; and he loses his chance at happiness with the destruction of the female monster. Loss is everywhere in Frankenstein. Injustice Injustice is another theme of the novel. Victor's and other humans' rejection of the Monster is a clear example, but, over the course of the novel, the Monster shows he is not blameless—he is guilty of several murders and of successfully framing an innocent victim, Justine. The De Lacey family story reveals other examples of injustice, as the De Lacey father and sister are unjustly punished for the actions of Felix. QUESTIONS • Why did Mary Shelley write Frankenstein? She wrote it as a response to a challenge to a contest by Lord Byron and her husband, Percy Shelley, to think of a horror story. Whoever wrote the best story would be declared the winner. • What discussions influenced the development of her idea? She was listening to her husband, Shelley, and Lord Byron talk about the nature of life, and the possibility of creating a creature. • In the preface, what does the author say she is trying to preserve? She is trying to “preserve the truth of the elementary principles of human nature.” • What is the structure, or form, of the novel? It is an epistolary novel. This means it is written as a series of letters. • Who was writing the letters? They were written by Robert Walton • . Why was Frankenstein in the Arctic? He was pursuing the creature • Who was Frankenstein’s closest friend? It was Henry Clerval • . What was one of the themes of the writers who influenced Frankenstein? The authors he liked wrote about raising ghosts or devils. He tried to mimic them. • What natural phenomena influenced Frankenstein? He watched a tree being hit by lightning during a storm. He became interested in the theories of electricity and galvanism. • So why was frankenstein so shocking? 1. Written by a women 2. Historical document 3. Mythological and theological debate related to science 4. Science 5. Modern science fiction 6. Social criticism 7. Satirical fantasy that is “satirical fantasy genre” HER FAMILY’S INFLUENCE • Her father william godwin was a political thinker and writer • Her mother Mary Wollstonecraft was a feminist (vendication of the rights of the women)